Safety device for electric irons



Sept. 18, 1,923. 1,468,418

W. C. SCHULTZ SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Filed July 12, 1921 W C. 5M4;

INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM G'. SCHULTZ, OF WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC IRONS.

Application filed July 12,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. SCHULTZ, a citizenof the United States, residing at \Valla \Valla, in the county of lValla Walla and State of \Vashington. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Electric Irons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This'invention relates to a new and useful attachment for electric flat irons, and more particularly to an electric fiat iron, by means of which the current which is being conveyed to the iron for heating the same will be automatically cut off when the heat of the iron reaches a predetermined degree.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device adapted to be applied to any well known form of electric flat iron and so arranged that the plug which connects the flat iron with a source of electrical supply will be automatically removed when the fiat iron is heated to a predetermined degree.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more 'fully set forth, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flat iron constructed in accordance Withmy invention showing the device in position for use;

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation showing the plug removed;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the at tachment, and

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the tri ger member.

eferring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the body of the fiat iron having the usual handle 2 provided with a supporting standard 3. The supporting standard 3 is provided at the rear of the flat iron with arcuate guide arms 4 in which the socket member 5 is arranged when engaged over the plug 6. The socket 5 is connected by means of the wires 7 to any suitable source of electrical supply so that when the socket 5' is engaged with the plug 6, a source of electrical current will be supplied to the body of the flat iron to heat the same,

1921. Serial No. 484,174.

It often occurs that the fiat iron becomes overheated and in order to automatically cut off the source of supply when the iron is heated to a certain degree,I have provided means whereby when the iron is heated to a certain degree, the socket 5 will be automatically detached from the plug 6. My improvement com-prises a spring member bent upon itself to form the intermediate loop 8. One end of the spring member is disposed in a perpendicular plane to form an attaching plate 9 having perforations 10 whereby the spring member may be attached to the body of the iron by means of the screws 11.

The end of the spring member beyond the plate 9 is bifurcated to form a central section and two end sections, the end sections being curved to form supporting arms 12 in which is arranged a fuse member 13 which normally bears against the body of the iron 1 as shown in Fig. 1. The central portion is disposed at right angles to the plate .9 and perforated as at 14 to receive the shank portion of the trigger member 15, said trigger member being provided with a curved lower end as shown at 16 to conform to the outlines of the fuse 13. The upper end of the trigger member is provided with a hook portion 17 adapted to engage the shoulder 18 formed on the arm 19. This arm 19 extends through an opening 20 in the spring member at a point adjacent the plate 9 and is adjustably arranged within an opening 21 formed in the other end of the spring member. The arm 19 is threaded as illustrated and mounted upon the threaded portion is a winged nut 22 arranged upon one side of the spring member whereby the arm 19 may be readily adjusted through the opening 21 and in order to retain the arm in its various adjusted positions, a lock nut 23 is mounted thereon and adapted to engage the opposite side of the spring from the nut 22.

In order to position my device for use, the socket member 5 is engaged with the plug 6 and in doing so, the end of the spring member beyond the opening 21 is engaged beneath the lower end of the socket 5 and it will be noted that in pressing the spring member down, the catch or shoulder 18 on the arm 19 is pushed downwardly through the opening 20 to engage with the hook 17 of the trigger member so as to portion a set position retain the spring member in as shown in Fig. 1, it being understood that the fuse member 13 has been previously placed in position Within the supporting arms 12 and arranged so that the curved portions 16 of the trigger will be engaged with the fuse. \Vhen fiat iron is heated to a certain degree, or to the degree which will melt the fuse 13, the fuse will be melted releasing the trigger member 13 as shown in Fig. 2, thus disengaging the trigger from the shoulder 18 on the arm 19 and as the spring member has been previously placed under tension, the tension of the spring member will tend to disengage the socket 5 from the plug 6 andremove the same as shown in Fig. 2 so as to automatically cut off the supply of electrical current. It will be apparent from this that there will be no danger of overheating the body of the iron or heating the same to such an extent that there will be a liability of burning the material upon which the iron is beingused.

Attention is also called to the fact that this device is so simple in construction and arrangement that it can be quickly and readily applied to most any well known make of electrical flat iron in use at the present time.

I claim:

1. An attachment for an electrically heated element having a plug and socket electrical connection, comprising a spring having one end free but normally engaging beneath the end of the removable part of the plug and socket connection, a fuse, the other end of the spring being bent to form a fuse retainer in association with the heated element for the fuse, means engaging the fuse thus held by the spring for retaining the free end of the spring under tension in its normal position whereby when the element is heated to a predetermined degree the fuse will be melted to release the retaining means whereby the spring will disconnect the socket and plug.

2. An attachment for electric irons adapted to automatically separate a plug and socket electrical connection carried thereby comprising a spring adapted to be secured by one end to the iron and having that end trifurcated, the central fork being slotted to seat a trigger and the lateral forks being bent to secure a fuse element against the body of the iron, said spring being bent U- shape and provided with slots to permit the passage therethrough, of a second trigger member, the free end of the spring adapted to be depressed and interposed between the plug and socket members of the electrical connection, and complementary trigger members adapted to engage the fuse and the free end of the spring respectively to maintain the latter under tension in position but to release the latter upon the melting of the fuse to disconnect the plug from the socket substantially as specified.

3. The combination with an electrically heated body, a plug carried thereby and a socket removably engaged with the plug, 01 a spring member having one end attached to the body, a fusible element supported by the spring member and contacting with the body, the other end of said spring member being normally placed under tension and engaged beneath the socket. a trigger member contacting with the fusible element, an arm carried by the free end of the spring member having one end engaged with the trigger to retain the spring arm in its normal position, said trigger member being released when the electrical heated body reaches a certain degree of temperature, melting the fusible element, thus releasing the trigger member from engagement with the arm, the tension of the spring arm removing the socket from the plug.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM'C. SCHULTZ. 

